Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HOW IRANIANS LIVE
The majority of Iran's urban dwellers live in
flats, and in major cities homes are rapidly be-
ing replaced with apartment blocks. Land in
Tehran is as expensive as many North American
and European cities, and the cost of living is in-
creasingly prohibitive. With the monthly rent
for an average two-bedroom property in Tehran
about US$800, and the salary of a midranking civil servant US$375 a month, the struggle
to make ends meet means many Iranians work more than one job and, in the case of the
middle classes, often both men and women work. Many couples live with parents for years
before they can afford their own place.
The name Iran - from the Middle Persian 'Eran' -
comes from the term for Aryan, 'the land of the
nobles'. It was first used in the 1st millennium BC.
Rich & Poor
The gap between rich and poor is huge. Teachers, earning not much more than US$300 a
month, are the sort of middle-class state employee hardest hit by inflation rates running at
more than 20% per annum. On the other hand, a fortunate minority live in lavish villas or
marble-and-glass apartments in the wealthy northern suburbs of Tehran. It is not uncom-
mon to spend US$100 on a meal for two at a trendy northern Tehran restaurant, an amount
most Iranians could not even dream of spending on a meal. The women of such families
tend not to work but instead lead lives revolving around their children, visiting parents and
friends and working out with personal trainers.
'WHAT IS YOUR IDEA ABOUT IRAN?'
ANDREW
BURKE
It's a question I've been asked hundreds of times while travelling in Iran, and one that simultaneously reflects a
strong sense of national pride and insecurity about Iran's place in the world. Iranians know that many foreigners have
a negative, one-dimensional impression of their country. And they don't like it. Iranians like to think of themselves as
equals to Europeans, and don't like being treated as second-rate or being regarded as somehow fanatical when they
visit travel abroad.
So when you're inevitably asked what you think about Iran, remember it's a genuine question and you're expected
to give a genuine answer. Quite often it leads to further conversation, particularly among young people who speak
